An Unlikely Love
by Blazing Pink
Summary: Ever wondered how Tails and Mina fell in love? Here's how I think in this story. TailsxMina
1. Tails' New Love

Author's Note: To those who read the Archie Sonic the Hedgehog comics; remember in "Mobius: 25 Years Later," Sonic and Sally got married and had two kids and Knuckles and Julie-Sue got married and had a daughter? Well, Tails and Mina got married and had two kids. When I found out about this, I thought, "How did that happen?" So I've decided to write how I think these two fell in love. I hope you enjoy this story, even if you don't support this couple.

Chapter One

Tails' New Love

Tails opened his eyes as the morning sun shun through his window and on top of his pillow. He yawned as he got out of bed and took off his pajamas.

_Today's a new day,_ thought the fox boy as he put on his shoes and gloves. He looked out of the window and saw that nearly everyone was out of bed already. Tails brushed his teeth and went downstairs for breakfast.

"Good morning, Tails!" said Rosemary, Tails' mother.

"Morning, Mom.

"I made your favorite, honey. Chili dogs!"

"Gee, thanks, Mom!" Tails sat down and started eating. "Where's Dad?" asked Tails when he noticed that Amadeus was missing.

"Your father went to see King Elias."

"Oh." Tails couldn't help but notice his father's strange behavior ever since he Rosemary arrived on Mobius from space. Tails continued eating his chili dog. It reminded him painfully of when he used to live with Sonic, his "big brother." Sonic's mother, Bernadette, would make chili dogs every morning and Tails and Sonic would sit down and tell jokes about Eggman. Sonic's parents treated Tails like he was their own son. Now that his real parents were here, it felt a little strange. Never less, Tails was still happy and knew that he would adjust sooner of later. "Thanks, Mom," said Tails as he finished eating. "I'm off!"

_What should I do today? _Tails looked around New Mobotropolis. The city was so beautiful. _Nicole really did a fine job. Now, should I finish that new plane that I'm building or help Rotor with his new invention? _Tails thought hard, but couldn't decide which. In the end, he decided to go to the Lake of Rings. Being there always helped him think more clearly. As he walked, Tails managed to say good morning to some of his friends. He said good morning to Bunnie and Amy as he passed by the market. When he reached the Lake of Rings, Tails climbed on top of the rocks and sat down. There, he thought for a few minutes and decided that his plane can wait. Tails stood up, but when he did, a small rock that his right foot was standing on slipped and he came tumbling down. "OW!" screamed Tails as he landed on the grass. "OW, OW, OW!" Tails looked at his right leg and saw a deep wound on his knee. Blood was oozing out. "Crap!" shouted Tails in disbelief. "Dammit!" Normally, Tails wasn't the kind who cussed, but seeing the condition he was in, who wouldn't?

"Oh my gosh! Tails, are you all right!?!" Tails looked up and saw Mina running towards him. He sat up.

"I'm fine," said Tails when Mina stopped. "It's nothing, really." He didn't want Mina to worry about him. Mina got on her knees and examined his knee.

"It's not serious, so we don't need to go to the hospital," said Mina. "I have some bandages at home. I'll take you there."

"No, Mina! I'm alright, really!" protested Tails, but Mina ignored him. She helped him up and turned around.

"Get on," she said. Tails stared at her.

"You want me to get on your back!?!"

"If you walk, the pain in your knee will only get worse!"

"But I can still fly –"

"GET ON!" Tails jumped. He had never heard Mina this aggressive before. Usually, her voice was soft and kind. Seeing he had no other choice, Tails got on Mina's back.

Tails never felt so embarrassed before. Everywhere he looked, people stared at him and Mina. He felt like a little kid, riding piggyback on Mina. Then, a memory crashed down on him.

_Five year old Tails sprained his ankle as he fell down. He began crying uncontrollably when eleven year Sonic came by._

"_Jeez, Tails," said Sonic. "Are you a baby or something?" Sonic picked up Tails and carried him on his back. _

"_I'm NOT a baby!" said Tails angrily between sobs. "Put me down and I'll show you!"_

"_You're in no condition to walk, Tails," said Sonic. _

"_Arrgh!" moaned Tails. "You're right. I feel like I need help all the time. I'll never become a Freedom Fighter!" _

"_Don't say that, Tails," said Sonic seriously. "Even I need help sometimes, but that __doesn't mean I feel useless. You gotta let other people help you, even if it does make you feel like a little kid."_

"We're here, Tails," Tails' mind went back to the present when he heard Mina's voice. Mina opened the door of her house and went inside. She placed Tails on her bed. "Wait here." When Mina left, Tails looked. This was the first time he was in Mina's house. Next to the bed were a drawer and a mirror. On the drawer was a photograph of Ash, Mina's boyfriend. 'I'll love you forever' was written on the photograph in Ash's handwriting. "I see you spotted my photograph of Ash." Tails turned around. Mina had come back with a bandage in her hand. She looked at the photograph sadly before she walked up to Tails. "Let's clean that wound first." After she finished bandaging Tails' knee, Mina sat down beside Tails. "I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier."

"It's okay," said Tails.

"I was just upset today."

"Upset? Why? What happened?" Mina looked at Tails before answering.

"Yesterday, I met up with Sonic. We stood there, talking and laughing, when Ash saw us. He got angry, and accused me of cheating on him. It wasn't like that! We were just having a friendly chat! Ash ran off and I went after him. But even though I can run fast, Ash disappeared before I caught up with him. This morning, I tried calling him on his cell but he wouldn't answer, so I decided to take a walk in the Julayla Memorial Park and I saw you fall off the rocks near the Lake of Rings." Tails listened in silence. He didn't mind Ash, but for some reason he wanted to punch that mongoose in the face after listening to Mina's tale.

"Why don't you go to Ash's house and try to talk to him?" advised Tails.

"Do you really think he would listen to me after what happened yesterday?"

"Of course! He loves you, I know he does!" Mina thought for a moment.

"Well…alright, I'll give it a try. Thank you, Tails." With that, Mina leaned over and kissed Tails on the cheek. Tails felt as though his heart had stopped. He became a little dizzy and felt his whole face get hot. "You better go home, now," said Mina. "Your parents will be worried about you."

"…right. Bye, Mina." As Tails walked back to his house, he had completely forgotten about helping Rotor today. All he could think about was Mina.

Author's Note: Well, what do you think so far? I'll be writing more chapters, but I need your opinions. Please review!


	2. Envy

Author's Note: I know that currently in the comics, Tails is now considered an enemy of New Mobotropolis. This chapter either takes place before or after the "House of Cards" part. I don't really know. It depends on how the "House of Cards" ends. Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter Two

Envy Can Control Your Actions and Emotions

For a week, Tails has been busy helping Rotor with his new invention and finishing his new plane. He was so busy, in fact, he didn't have time to talk to anyone other than saying hello. Tails wiped the sweat from his brow as he stood and looked at the plane he just finished.

_I haven't talked to anyone in the longest time, _thought Tails. He began wondering who he should talk to first. Sonic? No, there was still some tension between the two of them. Amy? No, she's either looking for Sonic or she'll only talk about Sonic. Mina? Suddenly, it hit him. He still didn't know if Mina and Ash were back together or not. Tails put away his tools and took off his work clothes. He than headed towards Mina's place.

As Tails walked towards Mina's house, thoughts entered his head.

_What if Ash rejected Mina? What should I do, then? Maybe I can make her happy? But how?_ Tails shook his head. Why was he thinking like this? He liked Mina as a friend, but he never had these thoughts of her before. What was going on with him? When Tails reached Mina's house, he stopped. _What if Ash _did_ reject Mina?_ He shook his head again. He looked at the windows of Mina's house. They were all curtained. Tails looked again and saw that one of the windows wasn't curtained. He walked towards it. _Wait a minute,_ Tails stopped. _What am I doing? If I look into Mina's house, I'll be a peeping tom! _But despite trying to stop himself, Tails looked into the window. He gasped. Lying on the bed, were Mina and Ash, kissing each other. They were clothed, of course, but Tails gawked at them as though he was witnessing something dirty. His heart felt as though someone had torn it in half. He felt sick in the stomach, like he wanted to puke. Tears were forming in his eyes. This feeling he was having; it was the exact same feeling he had when he caught Sonic making out with Fiona. Tails turned around and ran. Where he was running, he had no idea. He couldn't see due to the tears in his eyes. He kept on running until he ran out of breath. He looked around to see where he was. He was somewhere in the Faux Forest. The trees blocked his view of New Mobotropolis. He sat down and started crying. Why was he feeling like this? Why was he upset when he saw Mina and Ash kissing? He should've been happy! Tails wiped the tears from his eyes and looked up into the sky. _Idiot!_ Tails punched the ground. _After Fiona betrayed the Freedom Fighters, you promised yourself you won't fall in love as long as you have enemies! Get a hold of yourself, Tails! _

"Oh, Tails! You're home! Did you finish your—my goodness! What happened to you!?!" Tails had just walked through the front door of his house. Rosemary was preparing dinner in the kitchen when she spotted him. Tails' face was all wet from crying and his eyes were bloodshot. His gloves and shoes were dirty from punching and kicking the ground in anger.

"Hey, Mom," said Tails, ignoring his mother's question. "You're making dinner? Eat without me. I'm not hungry."

"Tails, what on Mobius happened to you!?!" asked Rosemary again.

"Nothing," said Tails as he went upstairs.

"Miles Prower! You come down here and tell me what happened this instance!" Tails slammed his door and locked it. He opened his desk got out a photograph of Mina's latest concert. In the photograph, Mina was standing in the center of the stage. On her right were Sonic and Amy. On her left were Tails and Ash. Ash was the only one who was scowling while everyone else was smiling happily. Tails tore Ash from the photograph and threw him away in the wastebasket. _Who needs a killjoy in a photograph that's supposed to be happy, anyway?_ Tails opened his desk again. He was sure there was a frame somewhere in there. Finally, he found it and placed the photograph in it. He than put it on his desk. Tails went to his bed and lay there, staring at the ceiling. He heard the doorbell ring and Rosemary answering it.

"Hi, Mrs. Prower! Is Tails home?" Tails sat up. That was Mina's voice!

"Hello, Mina. Tails is home but he's…busy."

"Oh. That's too bad. I'll come later, okay?" The door closed and Tails got up and went to his window. Outside, he saw Mina walking away. Tails opened the window.

"Mina! Wait!" Mina turned around. Tails flew towards her and landed.

"Tails? I thought you were busy!"

"I, uh, was," lied Tails. "But you wanted to see me, right?"

"Uh huh! I took your advice from the week before and Ash and I made up! Thank you, Tails!"

"Your…welcome." Tails wished that Mina and Ash weren't together. He wished that she was with him.

"I'm glad you're my friend, Tails," said Mina. "I don't what I would've done without you! I'll see you later, then." Mina turned around and headed home. Tails stood there watching Mina walk away. When he couldn't see her anymore, he whispered, "I love you, Mina Mongoose."

Author's Note: Did you like this chapter? Did you hate it? I know a lot of Tails fans will probably hate my guts after reading this, so here's a message for you guys: I love Tails. He's one of my favorite Sonic characters. I'm not trying to turn him into an emo, he's just upset. In other words, I don't wanna hear you saying, "OMG!!11 U h8 Tails!!11 Die, Tails h8ter!!11" or other crap like that. Please, this is just a story! If you're gonna be serious about it, then don't read it!


	3. Sonic Finds Out

Author's Note: This chapter takes place one year after the previous chapter. That means Tails is 12 years old and Mina is 17 years old (or 18. I don't know if she had her birthday in the comics yet) in this chapter.

Chapter Three

Sonic Finds Out

It was a beautiful summer day in New Mobotropolis. School had just ended and all of the students were celebrating at Uncle Chuck's Diner. Tails, Sonic, Sally, and Amy were sitting together at a table, munching on chili dogs.

"I can't believe we got homework over the summer!" pouted Amy. "And I was planning to visit my cousin Rob in Mercia! This sucks!"

"You can still visit him, you know," said Tails.

"I meant I wanted to visit him _without_ having any work to do! Now that I got this homework, we'll never have time to hang out!"

"We're in the same class, Amy. That means I got the same homework as you, if that makes you feel any better."

"It doesn't! You're the genius around here! You'll be finished in no time!" While Tails and Amy were having their conversation, Ash and Mina entered the diner.

"Damn, it's that hedgehog!" said Ash when he saw Sonic. "Let's go to my place to eat, Mina."

"No way, Ash!" said Mina. "You promised me we'll eat here. Besides, I already told you; Sonic and I are just friends! There's nothing between us anymore! Now, come on!" Ash sighed and followed his girlfriend. "Hey, guys!" Tails looked up and froze.

"H-hi, Mina…"

"Yo, Mina! What's up?"

"How are you doing, Mina?"

"Is that a new skirt? Where'd you get it, Mina? It looks fabulous!" Ash scowled at not being welcomed. Tails scowled at Ash. Once again, the killjoy had to come. Mina and Ash sat down at a nearby table. Tails wasn't able to take his eyes off of her.

"…Tails? Are you listening to me?" Tails quickly turned around and faced Sonic.

"Huh? Sorry, what were you saying?" Sonic rolled his eyes.

"I was asking if you wanted to have a race with me today."

"Oh! Yeah, sure, why not?" Tails looked down on his chili dog and stayed silent for the rest of the hour.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Right, so whoever gets to Castle Acorn first is the winner," said Sonic. Sonic, Tails, Sally, and Amy were standing outside of Uncle Chuck's Diner.

"Good luck, Tails," said Sally. "Try your best to beat Sonic, okay? I know you can do it!"

"Okay, Aunt Sally."

"Hey, Sal! Don't try to get the kid's hopes up!" Sally glared at Sonic. Sonic and Tails got into position. Just then, Mina and Ash came out.

"Hey, guys! Are you having a race? Can I join?"

"Sure, Mina! We're gonna see who gets to Castle Acorn first." Mina got into position next to Tails. Tails felt his heart skip a beat.

"Ready?" said Amy. "Go!" The trio sped off. Their speeds were all equal so it looked like it was going to be a tie. As they got nearer to Castle Acorn, Tails did something no one expected him to do. Tails, who was flying instead of running, stuck out his leg and tripped Sonic. Sonic landed face first on the grass. Tails began slowing down and Mina was soon ahead of him. Mina reached Castle Acorn first place. Sonic got up and spat the dirt out of his mouth.

"What the hell was that for!?!" he yelled at Tails.

"What are you talking about?" asked Tails.

"Don't play dumb with me! You tripped me on purpose!" Sonic walked towards Tails, his eyes filled with fiery rage. Mina came up.

"What's going on? What's wrong, Sonic?" Sonic looked at Mina.

"Nothing's wrong, Mina. Why don't you go back and tell everyone that you won? Tails and I need a little talk." Still looking confused, Mina sped off towards the direction of the diner. Sonic turned around towards Tails. "Well?" he asked.

"Well what?"

"Explain why you tripped me!" By now, Sonic looked like a homicidal maniac about to murder Tails. Tails took a step back, afraid to get close to his best friend.

"I, uh…wanted to win the race, that's all."

"Yeah, right!" roared Sonic. "If you wanted to win badly, you could've tripped Mina, too! Instead, you slowed down and let her win…wait a minute. You let Mina win on purpose!" Tails cast his eyes down. "You tripped me so Mina could win! What the hell, Tails!?! Did you two made a vow to beat me or something?"

"No," said Tails. "It's nothing like that."

"Then what is it, Tails? I mean, I've noticed you were acting strange around her all year. Heck, you even gave her roses on her birthday! Roses!" Tails bit his lip. He didn't like this conversation one bit. "Which means," continued Sonic. "No way! Don't tell me you've fallen for Mina, Tails!" Tails turned away.

"So what if I have?" he asked. "It's none of your business!"

"None of my business?" repeated Sonic. "None of my business!?! Tails, do you remember what happened last time with Fiona!?! Not only were you too young for her, but she already had a boyfriend! Mina's too old for you _and_ she's in love with Ash! You want to get your heart broken again!?!"

"SHUT UP!" screamed Tails as he punched Sonic in the face. Sonic fell over backwards. Blood was trickling from his mouth. "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYMORE FROM YOU! YOU'RE THE REASON WHY MY HEART IS BROKEN IN THE FIRST PLACE! SO WHAT IF MINA DOSEN'T LOVE ME!?! I DON'T NEED YOU TO RUIN EVERYTHING!" With that, Tails ran off. Sonic got up and wiped the blood from his mouth. He felt his cheek had gotten swollen. He sighed. It was the Fiona thing all over again.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tails wept quietly. He had snuck into his room by flying through his bedroom window instead of using the door. He didn't want Rosemary or Amadeus to see and question him. Tails was lying in bed with the photograph of Mina's concert from a year ago pressed against his chest. _Will I ever find true love? _Tails asked himself woefully.

Author's Note: Pretty sad chapter, huh? In case you're confused, when Tails yelled, "You're the reason why my heart is broken in the first place", he was talking about the day when he caught Sonic and Fiona kissing. Anyway, I hope you are enjoying this story! Be back next time!


	4. Yellow Roses

Author's Note: 'Kay, guys, sorry you had to wait for so long. Ever since school started, I've been busy with homework, friends, and grades. It also appears that my laziness has returned from its vacation. Anyway, I'm glad that my story is receiving positive reviews so far, so here's chapter four!

Chapter Four

Yellow Roses

The crowd's cheers filled the night as the last note faded away. Mina stood on the platform, smiling and waving at her fans.

"Thank you, thank you!" said Mina through her microphone. "You've been a wonderful audience! Have a good night!" Mina went backstage, pleased with herself that the concert had gone smoothly tonight. As she headed towards her dressing room, Mina heard footsteps running behind her.

"Mina!" Mina was tackled by a flash of pink and red. "You were awesome tonight!"

"Thanks, Amy," said Mina happily as she was squeezed by the happy girl hedgehog.

"Yeah, you really rocked!" Mina turned her head to see Sonic and Tails walking towards them. "This has got to be your best concert yet! That new song of yours was way past cool!"

"Thanks, Sonic," said Mina as Amy finally let go of her. Tails smiled and said nothing. "Well, it's great that you enjoyed my music, but I better go to my dressing room now."

"Yeah, of course. We better leave, too," said Sonic, "see you tomorrow, Mina!" Mina said good-bye to her friends and went inside her dressing room. When she closed the door, Mina realized that there were yellow roses lying on her dresser.

"Oh, how wonderful!" said Mina as she picked them up to smell them. A card fell from them and landed on the floor. Mina bent over and picked up the card. On it, it said:

_Lovely performance tonight, Mina! I hope you like these yellow roses that I got for you. Don't you think that yellow is such a lovely color? I got yellow roses instead of red ones because they match us!_

_XOXO_

_-M_

As Mina finished reading the card, she began to wonder who this secret admirer of her is. All she knew is that his name started with "M" and he was yellow. As Mina pondered, a knock came from her door.

"Mina?" said the person knocking. "Can I come in?" The door opened and in came Ash. Suddenly, it hit her. Ash was a _yellow_ mongoose, and his last name, Mongoose, started with an "M!"

"Oh, Ash!" cried Mina. "These are lovely!"

"Huh?" said Ash, who was completely dumbfounded and had no idea what was going on.

"It was extremely thoughtful of you to give me these roses!"

"What-"

"And the card! I just love what you wrote!"

"I don't-

"Oh, Ash! You didn't have to do anything to show how much you love me! I already-"

"HOLD ON A SECOND!" Ash screamed at the top of his lungs. "Mina, what the hell are you talking about!? I didn't give you any roses! And what card!?"

"…Huh?" Mina stood there, not able to grasp what Ash had just said. "B-but…I thought…the roses…" Ash spotted the card in Mina's hand and snatched it. After reading it, a wave of anger washed over him.

"Mina," Ash said in a calm, angry voice, "who gave you this card?"

"I…I thought…you gave…" Mina was becoming more confused. If Ash didn't sent her the roses and card to her, than who did? Ash crumpled the card in his hand. He stormed out of the dressing room. "Ash! Where are you going!?"

"I'm gonna found out who this secret admirer of yours is!" Ash's voice was completely filled with anger. "He's going to regret of ever trying to hit on my girl!"

"Ash, wait!" Ash ignored Mina and stomped his way down the hall. Mina sighed and placed her hand over her face. How could this be happening? Who was this secret admirer? What will Ash do to him if he ever found him? Mina choked back a sob and went back into the dressing room. Unknown to her or to Ash, someone had watched the whole thing from a corner. It was Sonic. He had come back to ask Mina if she wanted to go to the movies sometime. Not as a date, of course, but just as friends. After what happened just now, he decided that now wasn't a good time to ask her. Sonic sighed as he walked away. He knew very well who Mina's secret admirer was and it was time that he had a very serious talk with him.


	5. The Surprise at the Party

Author's Note: I'm happy to see that people are enjoying this story. To tell you the truth, I was a bit nervous about how this story would turn out. Your reviews make me happy and keep my confidence up. Thank you! Now this chapter once again takes place in the future. Tails is 18 and Mina is 24.

Chapter Five

The Surprise at the Party

Tails was looking through the mail that had come in that morning. So far, the only things that he had found were bills, a letter to Amadeus from the king, and a letter to Rosemary from a faraway friend. As Tails looked through some more, he realized that there was an envelope with his name on it. He ripped open the envelope and took out the paper that was inside it. It was an invitation.

_You're invited to come over to my house for a party! There will be plenty of drinks and food for everyone and a few games if you want to play! The party will be held on Saturday night at 8 o' clock. I also have an important announcement to make, so please come! _

_--Mina Mongoose_

Tails felt his heart skip a beat. He remembered the talk he had with Sonic a few years ago.

"_Listen, Tails, I know you have feelings for Mina, but you have to stop." Sonic and Tails were by the library. It was the day after Mina's concert. Tails wanted to check out a book when Sonic caught up with him. "I know you were the one who sent her those roses and that card. You should've seen how pissed Ash looked when he read that card.__"_

"_Well, that card wasn't meant for him!" said Tails angrily. "It wasn't his business to butt in!" _

"_That doesn't matter. What matters is that Mina looked like she was about to cry. She's upset that Ash is being all angry. If this keeps up, who knows how their relationship will end up? Do you want Mina's heart to break?" Tails looked down on the ground. He wanted Mina to be happy, but at the same time he wanted her to notice him. Was it worth the risk?_

"_Fine," said Tails finally, "I'll stop sending her stuff. But only because I don't want her to be sad anymore." Sonic nodded his head, approving Tails' choice._

"_I know it's hard, buddy, but it's the best choice. Just don't let in get to you."_

Tails sighed. Ever since that day, he had stopped sending Mina presents except for birthdays and holidays. Ash had calmed down and Mina looked happier than ever. But after reading the invitation, Tails felt something gnawing at his heart. He didn't know why. He and Mina still talked and hang out as friends, but now…

_Stop thinking like this, _thought Tails as he shook his head, _you know it's over. Mina is happy with Ash. _Yet Tails couldn't stop the thoughts. He laid the invitation on the table and went outside. Perhaps a walk would clear his thoughts.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tails hadn't gone far when he saw Sonic.

"Yo, Tails!" cried the blue hedgehog. "Did you get an invitation too?" Tails nodded. "Boy, I can't wait! It's been a while since we had a party. Eggman's been keeping us so busy that we hardly have any time for fun!" Tails didn't say anything. "Tails? You okay, bro?"

"I'm fine," said Tails, "it's just…I feel…well, uneasy." Sonic blinked.

"Does this have anything to do with Mina?"

"Unfortunately, yes," said Tails. He sighed and kicked the dirt a little. "I know that I should probably just ignore my feelings and treat Mina nothing more than a friend, but…I just can't get rid of this weight on my heart." Tails sighed again. Sonic stood there and listened to his best friend.

"Well…maybe you'll feel better if you just told Mina how you feel."

"What!?" Tails stared at Sonic. "I can't do that! Ash will beat the crap out of me if I confessed Mina my true feelings!"

"Just tell her in private."

"B-but…hey, wait a minute! Why are you telling to do this? You always told me not to tell Mina anything, but now you're telling me to do the exact opposite!"

"It's because that weight on your heart is making you miserable. If you told Mina the truth, you'll be able to lift that weight. You'll feel better." Tails stood there, letting Sonic's words sink in. It's true. The weight on his heart _was_ making him miserable. "I'll see you at the party." Sonic turned around and left, leaving Tails rooted in his spot.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The house was full of people chattering and laughing as music played. Nearly everyone who had been invited had arrived that Saturday night. Because there were so many people and the house was rather small, some of the guests had to stand outside while drinking their refreshments. But that didn't matter to them as long as they were having a good time. Sonic was standing by the refreshments, munching on a chili dog and drinking root beer. He looked up and saw that Sally and Amy had just arrived.

"Sally! Amy!" Sonic placed his chili dog and root beer on the table and went to greet them. It was hard squeezing through the crowd, but he managed to get through. He greeted the two girls through hugs. "You guys are late!"

"I had to get something done," said Sally, "it's a lot of work being a princess, you know. I thought I would never make it."

"And I couldn't decide what to wear!" said Amy. "I wanted to look my best, but at the same time I wanted to try out something new." Instead of wearing her usual red dress, Amy was a wearing a green T-shirt, green pants, green shoes, and a green headband.

"I think you look great, Amy." said Sonic, "You look good in green."

"So you don't think I look like a leprechaun?" Sonic and Sally laughed. Sonic wasn't lying. Amy _did_ look good in green.

"Sally! Amy!" Mina had squeezed through the crowd and hugged the two girls. "I'm so glad you came! Sorry if it's a bit crowded. I didn't expect so many people to arrive! Even Knuckles and Julie-Sue came!"

"Really?" Sally blinked in surprise. Usually Knuckles and Julie-Sue were so busy on Angel Island that they hardly had anytime to visit.

"Speaking of that, you should've seen what happened earlier!" said Sonic. "Some of the guests here started playing "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" and Julie-Sue was the one who was blindfolded. Instead of pinning the donkey, however, she accidentally pinned Knuckles!" Sally and Amy roared with laughter. Mina joined in, laughing at the funny memory of Knuckles yelling in pain when the tail was pinned to his back.

"Speaking of tails, where's our Tails?" asked Sally when she finally stopped laughing.

"No idea," said Sonic, "haven't seen him anywhere."

"How strange," murmured Sally.

"I better go find Ash," said Mina, "it's almost time for me to make my announcement." As Mina left and Sally and Amy went to get refreshments, Sonic headed back to where he left his chili dog and root beer. On the way, he met Antoine and Bunnie. The married couple was having a drink while their seven year old adopted son Pam was munching on a sandwich. Antoine and Bunnie greeted Sonic while Pam stared shyly. When Sonic picked up his chili dog again, the front door opened and Tails came in. He squeezed through the crowd and headed towards Sonic.

"Hey, Sonic."

"Tails! Where've ya been, buddy?"

"I was busy…doing…something." Tails avoided making eye contact. His face looked uneasy. "Listen, I'll talk with you later, okay?" Tails poured himself a cup of root beer and left.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tails stood outside, not talking with anyone. He drank his root beer in small sips. Just then, Amy came out, holding a cup of Coke.

"Tails! You made it!" Amy walked up to Tails. Tails murmured "Hi," and went back to sipping his drink.

"Is something wrong?" asked Amy, confused. Tails didn't seem to be his self tonight.

"Nothing's wrong," said Tails. Amy didn't look convinced.

"C'mon, Tails. Please tell me what's wrong. We're friends, right?" Tails looked at the pink hedgehog. He couldn't lie to her.

"Fine, I'll tell you," said Tails, sighing, "I almost decided not to come to the party."

"What!?" Amy stared at Tails.

"You see," continued Tails, ignoring Amy's stare, "there's this girl. I've had a crush on her for a few years, but she's older than then me. Well, not _too_ old, but still. She's already with someone, but I still can't get her out of my mind. I feel like there's this heavy weight on my heart. Sonic told me that I should tell her how I feel to get rid of that weight, but I don't know." Amy thought for a while.

"I think you should do what Sonic told you to do," she said finally, "even if she doesn't like you back, it'll still be a great relief for you. Go on. Try it. If you want, I can stand by your side when you tell her." Tails blinked at Amy. Maybe she was right. Maybe he _should_ tell Mina.

"Thanks, Amy," said Tails as he placed his cup on the ground, "but I want to do this alone. Is that alright with you?"

"Of course," smiled Amy. "I understand." Tails smiled back at her and headed back inside the house.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tails squeezed through the crowd, searching for Mina. When he finally saw her, she was standing at the end of the room, talking with Ash.

"Mina!" Mina turned around and smiled.

"Tails! You're here!" Mina went up and hugged Tails. The young fox felt his face turn red.

"Mina, can I talk to you in private?" asked Tails when Mina finally let go of him.

"Sure, but can you wait? I want to make my announcement now."

"Okay." Tails felt disappointment and relief at the same time. Mina grabbed a microphone that was lying on a nearby table. Ash turned off the music.

"Everyone, can I have your attention please?" said Mina through the mike. "I want to make my announcement now, but since there are so many people in here, can we all please move outside?" All of the guests headed outside. Once they were outside, the guests formed a half circle around Mina and Ash. Tails looked around and saw Amy standing across from him. She looked at Tails, the question, "Did you talk to her?" clearly visible in her eyes. Tails shook his head at her. Mina started talking again.

"First of all, I want to thank everyone here for attending my party. I'm sorry if you guys got too crowded. Now, for my announcement. As you all know, Ash and I have been dating for years. He has treated me kindly and although we had some disagreements, we managed to forgive and forget in the end. Being with him has made me really happy and we both love each other very much." The guests started applauding. Even Tails joined in. "Thank you," said Mina when the applause died out. "Now here's what I wanted to tell you all." Mina took a deep breath. Suspense hung in the air. "Ash and I are getting married!" It felt as if someone had just punched him in the stomach. Tails' eyes had grown wide and everything started to spin.

"Really? Congratulations!"

"Wow! I can't believe it!"

"When's the wedding?"

"I can't wait!"

Tails hardly heard what the guests were saying. Everything was spinning out of control. He felt like he wanted to throw up. Hershey, who was standing next to him the entire time, noticed that Tails looked ill.

"Tails? Are you alright?" That was the last thing Tails heard before he fainted.

Author's Note: Pam is a character that I thought of. Since Bunnie's lower body is all robotic, she won't be able to bear children. So I thought, "How about she and Antoine adopt a kid instead?" If you want me to write a story about Pam the Panda and how he became the adopted son of Antoine and Bunnie, please tell me. Anyway, poor Tails! What will happen next, you ask? Stay tuned and you will find out!


	6. Ash's Warning

Chapter Six

Ash's Warning

Tails opened his eyes, blinking as the sun from the window hit his face. He sat up and realized that he was in his room.

_How did I get here? _Tails tried to recall what had happened last night. Mina's party, his talk with Amy, Mina announcing that she and Ash were getting married-

Tails slapped his forehead. _Idiot! You fainted right in front of everyone when Mina made her announcement! How stupid are you!?_ Tails kicked the covers right off and went downstairs.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Tails! You're awake!" Rosemary and Amadeus were sitting at the kitchen table when Tails came down.

"You sure gave us a fright last night, son," said Amadeus. "Imagine how we felt when Sonic carried you here. You were passed out cold!"

"Sorry 'bout that, Dad," said Tails.

"Oh, you don't need to apologize," said Rosemary, smiling. "I bet you got so excited about Mina and Ash getting married that you just couldn't handle it! I remember when I first told my parents that your father and I were going to get married. Mother was so excited and Father just fainted away!" Rosemary and Amadeus began chuckling. Tails joined in, but there was a painful tugging at his heart. He headed to the front door.

"Where are you going, Tails?" asked Amadeus.

"Just need some fresh air."

"Don't you want breakfast first?" asked Rosemary.

"No thanks. Not hungry." Tails closed the door behind him and headed towards the Lake of Rings.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tails sat on the rocks that were by the lake. He remembered when he had scrapped his knee here and Mina carried him back to her house. Tails sighed and threw a pebble at the water's surface.

"Yo, Tails!" Tails looked up and saw Sonic coming towards him. "Thank goodness you're awake, buddy! How ya feeling?"

"Fine," mumbled Tails. He didn't feel like talking to anyone at the moment.

"Are you upset about Ash and Mina getting married?" Tails didn't say anything. Sonic sighed. "Listen, bro, I know it's hard, but you have to let go now. There's nothing you can do."

"Look who's talking!" said Tails angrily as he jumped off of the rocks. "Remember when Sally and Anti Antoine got married? Did you decide to let it go? No! So why are you telling me to let go? You don't have the right to talk!" Tails stormed off, leaving his best friend behind at the Lake of Rings. He continued running until he reached the Faux Forest. He stopped and sat down on the ground, his back against a tree. He shouldn't have shouted at Sonic like that, but who did he think he was? Tails sighed and looked up at the sky.

"Tails!" Tails turned his head and saw Amy running towards him. She was wearing the same outfit that she wore last night at the party. "I'm glad to see you're awake! What are you doing here?"

"Nothing," said Tails, turning away from her. Amy kept her gaze on the young fox.

"Hey, Tails?"

"Hmm?"

"That girl that you were talking about last night…it's Mina, isn't it?" Tails turned around and stared at the hedgehog.

"H-how did you-?"

"It wasn't hard. The way you fainted right after the announcement was a dead giveaway." Tails groaned. He wondered how many more people had guessed about his feelings for Mina. Amy sat down beside him. "I know how it feels to have someone you like already get taken."

"You're talking about Sonic and Sally, aren't you?" Amy smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, but that no longer bugs me. I think I found someone else." Tails stared at her.

"Someone else? Who?"

"Oh, no one," said Amy, giggling a little.

"Who? C'mon, Amy! Please tell me!"

"I'll tell you later. I'll just say you met him before." Well, that was a helpful hint. Tails had met a ton of people. "Anyway, enough bird walking. You have to let go, Tails. Meet someone new like I did. You can't think about Mina for the rest of your life." Tails looked down at the ground. Amy was telling him the exact same thing that Sonic had told him. Maybe because it was true? Should he move on?

"Thanks, Amy," said Tails as he stood up. "I guess I _should_ move on." _Why didn't I listen to Sonic? _

"You're welcome," said Amy as she also got up. "I better go now. See you!"

"Wait! Aren't you going to tell me who your new person is?"

"Nope!" Tails groaned. Sometimes it's hard talking with that pink hedgehog.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Tails walked home, he spotted Ash standing with an angry look on his face.

"So you're awake," said the mongoose, his angry gaze fixed on Tails.

"So I am," said Tails as he walked past Ash. Suddenly, Ash stepped right in front of him, his face a few inches away from Tails' face.

"Listen real good, fox boy." Ash's voice was full of rage. "If I see you anywhere near Mina again, you're going to regret it!"

"What are you-?" Before Tails could finish his question, Ash pushed him down to the ground.

"You know what I'm talking about!" The mongoose towered over the young fox. "You're worse than that hedgehog! I repeat: If I see you near Mina, there's going to be blood on the ground!" Ash walked away. Tails sat there, trying to understand what had just happened. Ash had found out about Tails' feelings for Mina. Ash warned him if he goes anywhere near Mina, he was going to get it. Tails trembled a little. Looks like he had made himself a new enemy.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Note: Ash is pissed and I sense trouble! What will Tails do? Also, can you guess who Amy's new "friend" is? Go on! Try and guess! Right, so stay tuned for the next chapter!


	7. Tails vs Ash

Author's Note: Ladies and gentlemen, I present you the moment you've all been waiting for:

Chapter Seven

Tails vs. Ash

It's been two weeks since Mina's party and announcement. Sonic, Sally, Tails, and Amy were all at Uncle Chuck's Diner, eating at the same table. While Sonic and Sally were munching on chili dogs, Tails tried to get Amy to tell him who her new interest was.

"Can't you give me a hint?"

"I already gave you a hint."

"But it wasn't specific! Can't you give me a _specific _hint?"

"Sorry."

"Amy!"

"What's all this about?" asked Sonic, who had no idea what was going on.

"Amy won't tell me who her new boyfriend is!"

"You have a boyfriend, Amy?" asked Sally, surprised to hear this.

"Well, he's not exactly my boyfriend," said Amy smiling. "We've been hanging out for a few weeks and I really like him. He likes me, too. I can tell."

"How can you tell?" asked Sonic, who was getting more interested in this subject.

"Well, first of all, he doesn't run away when I call his name." Sally and Tails started laughing. Sonic glared at the two. "Second of all," continued Amy, "he looks happy when he sees me. Third of all, he protects me. You see, he was protecting me when we met."

"So, who exactly is it, Amy?" asked Sonic.

"Oh, you won't like him."

"I won't like him? Why? Don't tell me you've been going out with Scourge!" Everyone roared with laughter. When the laughter died down, Sonic looked at Amy with a straight face. "I was being serious."

"No, it's not Scourge," said Amy wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'll just say that he's tall, dark, and handsome."

"Wait," said Sally," you don't mean…?" Sally whispered something in Amy's ear.

"Yes!" said Amy. "He's the one!" The two girls started giggling.

"What is it?" asked Tails. "Sally, did you guess who it is? Who is it?"

"Oh, no one," said Sally and Amy. The two girls then got up and left, still giggling as they went out the front door.

"What was that about?" asked Tails.

"Beats me," said Sonic as he bit through his chili dog.

"Aren't you worried about who Amy is going out with?"

"Not really. As long she's happy, I'm happy." Sonic loved Amy as a sister. Nothing more, nothing less. But he felt a little uneasy about this guy that Amy was talking about. Who exactly was he?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later that day, Tails was walking towards the library when he saw Mina. She was sitting on the steps of the library, reading a book that was titled _Perfect Wedding: A Step by Step Guide on How to Have a Fabulous Wedding._

"Hi, Mina." Mina looked up.

"Hi, Tails!"

"I see you're reading a book on weddings."

"Yeah, I got it from the library. I was lucky enough to find a copy."

"Are you nervous about your wedding?"

"A little. My mom told me that she also had butterflies in her stomach when she was getting married to my dad."

"I see." There was a pause. Neither Tails nor Mina knew what to say.

"I better go now," said Mina finally. "My mom might be wondering I am. Bye, Tails!"

"Bye, Mina." Tails watched as Mina walked away. He was about to go up the library stairs when he saw that Mina had left her book behind. "Mina! You forgot your-!" Mina was already gone. Tails sighed and picked up the book. He decided that he would come back to the library later.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Tails walked towards the direction of Mina's house, he started flipping through the pages of the book. He stopped at the very end of it.

_And remember! A perfect wedding is only perfect if the newly wed is happy!_

Tails stared at the words for a while. He hoped that Mina would be happy at her own wedding. Tails closed the book and was about to turn a corner when something rammed into him. He fell onto the ground, bruising his elbow a little, and looked up. Ash was standing there, his eyes wild with anger.

"I told you _not_ to go anywhere near Mina!" said Ash hatefully. "Now, you're going to get it!" He lifted his foot and tried to stomp on Tails, but the fox managed to roll away. He quickly stood up.

"What's your problem?" asked Tails as he placed the book on the ground. "All I did was chat a little with Mina! You're acting as if I mistreated her!" Tails dodged Ash's punch.

"Don't play dumb with me! I know it was you who sent her those roses and that card six years ago!" Ash tried to punch Tails again but missed. "It took me a few days to figure out who 'M' was-"

"A few days? What, you're that stupid?" Ash tried to tackle Tails, but the fox jumped out of the way.

"As I was saying, I remembered that your legal name is 'Miles.' At first, I didn't do anything. I wanted to see what you would do next. When you didn't do anything for a couple of years, I've decided that you must've forgotten about Mina. I felt more relaxed. But then, at the party, when you wanted to talk with Mina and the way you fainted, I realized that you still carried a torch for her!" Ash's fist connected with Tails' jaw. Tails fell backwards. He felt blood in his mouth. He spat it out and stood up.

"Listen," said Tails angrily as he propelled his twin tails and lifted into the air, "while it's true that I still like Mina, I would never try to hit on her now that she's getting married! What's with you? First, it was Sonic, now it's me! You know what your problem is? You can't trust anyone!" Ash tried to punch Tails again but Tails kicked him in the face. He staggered backwards, his lip bleeding and his eyes getting angrier. Tails flew towards him and started throwing punches. Ash tried to block them, but one of the punches hit him right in the face. His glasses flew right off and broke in two. Ash threw himself at Tails and they both fell onto the ground. Ash punched Tails right in the face. Tails kicked him right off. They both got up and tried to knock each other down. Ash, being heavier than Tails, succeeded and kicked Tails right in the stomach. Having the wind knocked right out of him, Tails quickly stood up gasping. Ash was about to punch him again when Tails caught his fist. Ash swung his other fist, but Tails caught that, too.

"This is pointless!" said Tails angrily. "I already told you that I'm not going to hit on Mina!"

"Shut up!" said Ash. "I don't believe a single word you say, you motherf-!" Tails pushed Ash down to the ground. Ash tried to get up but Tails nailed him right in the face. Tails felt Ash's nose break but he didn't care. He was about to punch him again when he heard someone shout, "Stop! What are you doing!?" Tails turned around and felt his heart sink when he saw Mina running towards them. Ash got up, his nose bleeding badly.

"What are you guys doing!?" asked Mina when she reached the two bruised boys. "Why are you fighting!?" Tails looked down at the ground.

"Why don't you ask fox boy here?" said Ash angrily. "He's the one who started it!" Ash stormed off.

"Ash! Wait!" cried Mina, but Ash wasn't listening to her. Mina turned around to face Tails. Tails picked up the book that he had left on the ground.

"Here," said Tails, "you forgot your book."

"That doesn't matter! Tails, why were you and Ash fighting?" Tails didn't say anything. "You've been acting weird around me for years, Tails!"

"Y-you've noticed?" asked Tails in disbelief.

"Of course I've noticed! Tails, what's gotten into you? I don't understand any of this!" Tails didn't say anything. Mina wanted to know why he was acting so strange. Mina wanted to know the truth.

"Mina," said Tails, "I'll tell what I've been holding back for years."

"What?" asked Mina, her eyes wide as she listened.

"Mina, all these years I've been acting strange around you for a good reason. Didn't you figure it out already?"

"Figure what out? What are you talking about?" Tails took a deep breath.

"Mina, I l-" _Kaboom! _The earth started to shake.

"What's going on!?" cried Mina.

"I don't know!" said Tails. All around him, people came out of their houses, looking terrified. A blue blur flashed by.

"Tails! Mina! You guys gotta head for the castle!" said Sonic as he grabbed Tails and Mina by the arms and ran off.

"Sonic! What's going on!?" asked Tails.

"Eggman's attacking."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Note: Tails and Ash had fought! What will happen now? Also, will Tails tell Mina how he really feels? Eggman's attacking! Who will win the battle? And who is Amy's new love interest? The answers will be in the next chapter!


	8. Crystal Tears

Author's Note: In this chapter, I finally reveal who Amy's new love interest is!

Chapter Eight

Crystal Tears

"Sonic, what do you mean Eggman's attacking? I thought the shield around the city kept him out!"

"Not anymore! Eggman somehow managed to destroy it!" Sonic had reached the castle and let go of Tails and Mina. All around them, people were filing into the castle, some calmly, others in terror. There was a great explosion as a bomb went somewhere behind them.

"Thank goodness you're alright!" Sally had come out of the castle. "Eggman brought his entire army fleet! The Freedom Fighters alone can't stand against him, so I called help from Angel Island and GUN."

"Better get help than turn to road kill, I suppose," said Sonic. "Tails, I'll head out and find Eggman. You can aerial attack these guys, okay?"

"Got it!" said Tails. Sonic sped off. As Tails was about to turn and go, he felt someone grab his arm. It was Mina.

"Tails, I don't see my mom or Ash anywhere!" said Mina, her face full of worry and fear.

"I'm sure they'll turn up, Mina," said Tails.

"But what if they don't turn up? What if something happened to them? Tails, you have to find them! Please!" Tears ran down Mina's face. They shined like crystals. Tails couldn't stand seeing those tears.

"Alright. I'll find them."

"Thank you, Tails!" Mina hugged Tails, the tears still running. When she finally let go, Tails went of to search for Ash and Mina's mother.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tails ran towards the direction of Mina's house. Here and there, he saw the ground torn up from the explosions, fallen houses, and a few of Eggman's robots. Tails sometimes had to hide behind a house so that the robots wouldn't see him. He couldn't waste his energy fighting them. As he neared the place where Mina's house was, an unseen bomb went off right next to him. Tails fell to the ground, coughing. The smoke from the explosion blocked his vision.

"Tails! Are you alright?" As the smoke began to clear away, Tails saw someone standing in front of him. It was Mina's mother, Isabella. She was with a couple of children.

"Isabella! I've been looking for you!" said Tails as he stood up. "You have to get to the castle! Mina's worried about you!"

"Mina's in the castle?" asked Isabella, looking relieved. "Oh, thank the stars! I was worried she had gotten hurt!" Tails, Isabella, and the children headed towards the direction of the castle. Suddenly, there was a gunshot. Tails felt immense pain in his arm. One of Eggman's robots, carrying a gun, appeared in front of them.

"Halt, in the name of Lord Robotnik!" said the robot as it pointed its gun at them. "You are ordered to get on a battleship and be roboticized!" The children began to cry. Isabella comforted them while glaring at the robot as if that could somehow make it go away. Tails looked at his bleeding arm and realized that he was useless at the moment.

_Is this really how it's going to end?_ Suddenly, there was a flash of light and the robot crumpled to pieces. In its place stood a black hedgehog.

"Shadow!" Shadow looked down at Tails.

"That wound on your arm looks pretty bad," said the hedgehog. He then turned his gaze onto Isabella and the still crying children. "They with you?" Tails nodded.

"Is GUN already here?"

"No, it's just me. What, were you expecting them?"

"Yeah, we called them for help. Wait, if you didn't know that GUN is supposed to be here, then why are you here?"

"I have a friend living here. I was worried, you see."

"A friend? Who-?"

"Sorry to interrupt," said Isabella, "but aren't we supposed to be heading towards the castle?"

"Oh yeah! Sorry, Isabella!" Tails, Shadow, Isabella, and the children started walking. Because of Tails' wounded arm, Shadow had to take out any robot that was in their way. While they walked, Tails kept his eyes peeled for any signs of Ash. None. Where was that stubborn mongoose? Soon, they arrived at the entrance of the castle. Mina was waiting for them.

"Mom!" Mina ran towards her mother and hugged her.

"Oh, Mina! I was so worried!"

"I'm so glad to see you, but where's Ash?"

"I don't know, honey. I didn't see him anywhere." Mina turned her gaze onto Tails. Her eyes were full of disappointment and tears. Tails looked away from her, ashamed that he had failed her.

"Come on, Mina. Let's get the children inside," said Isabella. Mina nodded solemnly and herded the children into the castle. Tails sighed.

"Something wrong?" asked Shadow.

"It's nothing," replied Tails. The two went inside. The hallway was rather crowded, filled with the noises of children crying and adults whispering. Dr. Quack had just come out of one of the doors.

"I need more bandages! Some of my patients are bleeding badly! I'll also need—Tails! What on Mobius happened to you!?" Dr. Quack had spotted Tails and his bleeding arm. Tails went up to him.

"Got shot by a robot," said Tails, holding up his arm. "Is it serious?" Dr. Quack examined it.

"No, nothing serious," said the doctor finally. "But we need to clean it up right away to avoid infection. Come with me!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"How's your arm, Tails?"

"Still stings, but not much." Tails looked around the room. Many people were lying in beds with bandages on them. Some were awake and looked fine, some were sleeping and didn't look okay. Tails couldn't believe that so many people were injured. The door opened and in came Sonic and Amy.

"Hey, Tails! Isabella told me you hurt your arm. How are you-?" Sonic stopped when he saw Shadow. "You! What are you doing here, Faker?!"

"Is that anyway to thank someone who had just saved your friend's life?" asked Shadow. Sonic glared at him.

"I'm so glad you're here, Shadow!" said Amy as she walked up to the black hedgehog and hugged him.

"Long time, no see, Amy," said Shadow smiling. As Tails watched the two, something occurred to him.

"Wait a minute! Amy, that guy you were talking about…it…its Shadow?!"

"Bingo!" said Amy, winking at Tails. Tails stood there, completely shocked. How the heck did that happen?!

"What? You told them about our relationship?" asked Shadow.

"Not really," said Amy. Sonic continued to glare at Shadow. At the word relationship, Tails remembered Mina's upset face when he turned up without Ash. Tails opened the door and went out.

"Where are you going, Tails?" asked Sonic, who had finally stopped glaring at Shadow.

"I'm going to find Ash!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Note: Right, so how many of you guessed that it was Shadow? Speak up, please! Tails is off to find Ash! What's going to happen? Find out in the next chapter!


	9. Fool

Author's Note: Seems like everyone (or almost everyone) had guessed that it was Shadow. Maybe some time in the future I should write a fic on how they became interested in each other. What do you guys think?

Chapter Nine

Fool

As Tails walked through the crowded hallway, he couldn't help but overhear a conversation between Geoffrey and Hershey.

"Hershey, I'm telling you that you're not well enough to go fighting!"

"Oh, come now, Geoffrey, a bit of morning sickness won't stop me."

"But Hershey! Who knows what could happen! You could vomit unexpectedly and the robots might use this as an advantage to capture you! I don't want to lose you and the baby at the same time!" Tails stopped abruptly.

_Baby? _"Hershey, you're pregnant?" Hershey turned her head to face Tails and smiled.

"Yes, I am. We just found out a few days ago from Dr. Quack. I can't wait to start a family."

"If you can't wait, then you shouldn't go fighting!" said Geoffrey. The skunk looked like he was having a panic attack.

"Hershey, I think he's right," said Tails. "We can't risk losing you and your child when you're feeling sick." Hershey sighed.

"Fine. I won't go anywhere, seeing how you two are so worried about me." The cat then turned and walked away.

"Thanks, mate," said Geoffrey.

"No problem," said Tails as he went outside. He felt something small grab one of his tails. It was Pam.

"Have you seen my parents?" asked the panda.

"I haven't, Pam. They must be outside fighting off Eggman's army." Pam looked uneasy.

"I'm worried." Tails smiled and patted Pam's head.

"I'm sure they're alright. I've known your parents for a long time. They're not the type who can't handle a few robots. Now, go back inside. We don't want you getting hurt." Pam nodded and went back inside the castle.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just as Tails had suspected, Antoine and Bunnie were busy fighting off Eggman's robots. Tails wanted to stop and help his friends, but he had to find Ash. He propelled his twin tails and flew into the air. Having a bird's eye view meant that it would be easier for him to find Ash. As he flew through the air, he saw one of Eggman's battleships coming towards him.

_Great. Just what we need. _The battleship detected the flying fox and began shooting its guns at him. Tails managed to dodge them, but knowing that sooner or later one of them was going to hit him, he landed back on the ground next to a few demolished houses. Suddenly, a huge explosion was heard and the sky was filled with smoke and debris. The battleship had been shot down and in its place was a GUN aircraft. _Finally!_ Tails began searching through the ruined houses, hoping that Ash might have taken refuge in one of them. When he couldn't find the mongoose, Tails turned to go to another direction when he heard a moan. The moan came from a pile of rubble. Tails stepped cautiously towards the rubble. When he heard nothing, he began to dig through it until he touched something furry. It was Ash.

"Ash! Are you alright!?" The mongoose was badly bruised. Blood stained his clothes and he was all scratched up. His eyes were closed shut and he didn't move an inch. Tails gently pulled him out of the rubble.

"C'mon, Ash! Wake up!" said Tails. He shook the mongoose a few times before he finally opened his eyes.

"Ow…my head…what the-?" Ash looked up at Tails and his eyes flashed with anger. "You! What do you think you're doing!?" Ash tried to stand up but ended up collapsing on his knees, wincing in pain.

"Don't move, you're badly hurt!" Tails reached out his hand, but Ash only slapped it away.

"I don't need your help, fox boy! I can get up by myself!" Ash tried to stand up again, but only managed to stay up for a few seconds.

"Ash, you _do_ need help! C'mon, Mina's waiting for you!"

"Mina?" Ash turned his gaze at Tails, his eyes still full of anger. "Is that it, huh? You came all the way here to bring me back so that you can get Mina to like you, eh?"

"What!? That's not true! You're talking bull-!"

"I know what I'm talking about!" Ash swung his fist, but Tails dodged it easily.

"This is no time for fighting!" said Tails angrily. "We have to get to the castle or we'll die out here!"

"Fight me first!" Ash swung his fist again. Tails dodged it as easily as the first one.

"You're a fool if you want to fight right now!"

"Well, well, well! What have we here?" Eggman had appeared right behind Tails, sitting in his Egg Cruiser. "If it isn't the fox boy! My, it's been a long time since we last seen each other, hasn't it? And what's this? Aren't you that blasted Songoose's boyfriend?"

"I'm her fiancée now," said Ash, glaring at Eggman. "And I would appreciate it if you didn't call Mina 'blasted,' you lousy excuse for a walrus!"

"Fiancée, eh?" said Eggman, completely ignoring the fact that Ash had just insulted him. "Too bad the wedding will be cancelled! I'm going to roboticize you both!" Tails raised his fists, ready to take on the enemy before him. All of a sudden a black figure leaped up, kicked the Egg Cruiser, and sent it flying with Eggman still on it. The black figure landed before Tails and Ash.

"Hershey! What are you doing here?" Hershey brushed herself off before answering.

"I couldn't stand watching Eggman's robots running rampage, so I decided to kick some of their asses. That's when I saw that you guys needed help."

"Hershey, you shouldn't be out here! Does Geoffrey know about this?"

"Relax, Tails. If you're worried about me being sick, I'm perfectly fine! Nothing will-" That's when Hershey leaned over and threw up.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Ash.

"Pregnant," answered Tails.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I can't believe you went out when you were told not to!"

"Geoffrey, calm down. If it weren't for me, Old Fatty would have gotten Tails and Ash."

"Tails could have easily taken him down! Do you _enjoy _worrying me, Hershey?" Tails, Ash, and Hershey were all in the castle. While Dr. Quack treated Ash, Geoffrey was lecturing his wife for going out to fight when she was sick.

_That's what couples do, I guess,_ thought Tails. He was sitting on the stairs at the end of the hallway when Mina came up to him.

"Tails, thank you so much for finding Ash!" She hugged the fox, who felt himself blush.

"I-it was nothing, Mina." He felt quite happy to see Mina's smile again. "Did Dr. Quack say anything about his condition?"

"He said it's nothing serious," said Mina happily. "I'm going to go visit him. See you, Tails!" As Tails watched Mina walk away, he began to wish that he could somehow tell her his true feelings.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Note: Sorry if this was a little short. Next chapter will be longer, I promise!


	10. Conversations

**Author's Note: Well, what do you know**

**Author's Note: Well, what do you know! Blaze is back with another chapter! Seriously, I'm sorry that you guys hadn't heard from me in months. A lot of things got in my way, such as studying for an exam for school (I hated that so much) and moving to a new state (well, sort of). Anyway, now that my little vacation is over, I'll be updating more chapters sooner. In fact, I believe we have a few chapters left before the story's over.**

**Readers: No, Blaze! You can't end "An Unlikely Love!"**

**Me: Ha ha, don't worry! I'm planning to write a sequel for this story!**

**Readers: Yay!**

**Me: Anyway, let's start with this chapter, shall we?**

**Sonic: Just admit it, woman! The reason why you weren't updating is because you were too lazy!**

**Me: throws brick**

**Sonic: OW!**

Chapter Ten

Conversations

"When do you think this war will be over, Sonic?"

"If we just sit around and do nothing, then it will never end, Sal." The night sky glowed with explosions. It's been three days since the attack and the future wasn't looking too bright. Already, Eggman's battleships had taken out almost half of GUN's army. Almost everyone in the castle had given up all traces of hope. The Freedom Fighters and the Chaotix try their best every day, but always returned with injuries worse than the last ones. Sonic and Sally stood in Sally's room, looking out of the window. They had turned off the lights so that the enemy wouldn't detect them. Yesterday, Sonic had injured his arm while fighting off some robots. One robot had shot him right in the elbow. Dr. Quack had told Sonic that he needed to rest for a bit and let his arm heal. Of course, being the one who didn't take orders from anyone, Sonic completely ignored this and continued fighting.

"I wish you would think for once," said Sally, glancing at the cast that covered the hedgehog's arm. "What am I going to do if you get killed because you didn't use your head?"

"Aw, come on, Sal!" Sonic put his uninjured arm around the princess. "I'm the fastest and coolest thing in the world! There's no way I'm gonna be sleeping with the fishes!"

"Where were you when brains were being handed out?" Sally asked as she rolled her eyes and started walking towards the door.

"Now where have I heard that before?" Sonic quietly asked himself as he followed the princess.

XxX

Tails sighed as he wiped his hands with a cloth. He just finished doing repairs to the Tornado after it was blasted out of the air by one of Eggman's battleships. Tails scratched at the part of his head that was wrapped in band-aids. He had injured it when he crash landed near the castle. Dr. Quack told it wasn't anything serious, although he will experience a headache every now and then. The doctor also told him to stop fighting for a bit and rest. Unlike Sonic, Tails obeyed that order. After all, the fox boy already had an injured arm. No way was he going to injure something else or worse!

Tails placed the cloth back on the table and walked out into the hallway of the castle. A melancholy atmosphere greeted him. Not a single person was smiling. Parents tried to calm their crying children down while someone was shouting, "Face it! We're all going to die! If GUN can't help us, then nothing will! It's been three days already! Can't you see that this is the end? This might be our last day here! Eggman's army is much more powerful than we expected! We could surrender, but that fat dictator shows no mercy! This is it, I tell you! We're all going to-!"

"Shut up!" yelled a woman who holding a crying little girl. "Can't you see that your talking is making my daughter upset? I've been trying to calm her down all day, but you're only making it worse! In fact, you just made all of the children more upset! Keep your trap shut or I'll kick you out of this castle!" The person who was shouting how they all were going to die became silent. Tails sighed with relief. Just listening to that speech made his head hurt again. As he walked through the crowd, Tails caught a glimpse of something pink and green.

"Amy!" The fox boy pushed through some people to get to the pink hedgehog.

"Hi, Tails!" Amy beamed when Tails finally got to her. "How are you doing? Is your head alright?"

"Yeah, it's okay," Tails scratched the back of his head. It actually felt pleasant to see someone who didn't have a frown on their face like everyone else.

"That's great! You know, I'm getting pretty tired of this war and seeing everyone look so sad. I hope it ends soon."

"You're not the only one who feels that way, Amy. By the way, where's Shadow?"

"He's out fighting. He told me I should rest for a bit. He doesn't want me getting hurt." Amy's eyes gleamed with delight. Tails felt happy that Amy finally found someone that was perfect for her, even though he still wasn't used to the fact that it was Shadow. Once again, Tails felt that tugging feeling in his heart.

"Is something wrong, Tails?" Amy asked, as if she sensed the feeling. Tails looked down at his feet.

"No, nothing's wrong. It's just…I guess I sorta feel jealous. I mean, you have someone to love and care for and so does Sonic and Knuckles. But me? I don't really have anyone…at the moment, anyway." Amy gazed at her friend and chuckled a little. Tails looked up at her. "What? What's so funny?"

"Oh, Tails. You remind me of myself." At first, Tails didn't understand what Amy was talking about. Then, he remembered how Amy used to always chase after Sonic and always felt upset whenever he was with Sally. He remembered how on some days she would come to Tails and pout, saying that life isn't fair and then start crying. Over the years, Amy had slowly matured and came to accept the fact that her fantasy dream of marrying Sonic was never going to become a reality. Now, standing right next to Tails is a young lady who still has her trademark temper and hammer, but has lost the childish immaturity that everyone knew too well. At this thought, Tails began laughing.

He _was _starting to act like Amy. Love struck, jealous, and upset, but with just more maturity. Amy smiled when she saw that she managed to make her friend laugh and started laughing with him. The two friends were laughing so much that they didn't hear the footsteps that were walking towards them.

"Sounds like you two are having a good time." Tails and Amy turned at the direction of the voice. It was Mina. The mongoose had a band-aid on her cheek and bruises on her legs from going outside and looking for missing people. There, she had gotten into a fight with a few robots, and although she wasn't exactly strong, she did manage to damage the robots somewhat.

"Hi, Mina," said Amy. "Sorry, I know we're not supposed to act this way when there's a war going on."

"It's okay," said Mina, smiling at the pink hedgehog. "It's actually nice to hear some laughter. Everyone's been really depressed lately and I can understand why. But that doesn't mean we can't laugh every now and then. Sometimes, laughter can raise hope and bring the gloominess down a bit. I suppose this is what they mean when they say 'laughter is the best medicine.'" Come to think of it, Tails did feel better after laughing with Amy. He smiled a little while thinking of what Mina had just said.

"Do you need something from us, Mina?" Amy asked the mongoose.

"As a matter of fact, I do," said Mina. "Tails, I want you to come with me." Tails looked up in surprise. Mina wanted him? For what? He felt his heart racing.

"Go on, Tails," said Amy. "You don't have anything to do right now, right?"

"Um…no, I don't." said Tails, his heart racing even faster.

"Great!" Mina beamed with pleasure. "C'mon, I want you to follow me." Tails looked at Amy. She nodded her head before he started walking with Mina.

XxX

Tails felt a little awkward walking next to Mina. Wherever she was taking him, he didn't know. He hardly paid attention to what direction they were going. He had to break the uncomfortable silence.

"So, um…Mina," started Tails, his heart racing once again.

"Hmm?" Mina turned her head to look at the fox boy.

"Uh…h-how's Hershey doing?" That was the first thing that came to his mind.

"She's doing well. Been vomiting a bit, but that's only natural for a mother-to-be."

"I see…" This conversation was going nowhere. He had to change the subject.

"What about your mother, Mina? Is she doing well?"

"Oh, yes. Right now, she's comforting some children who lost their parents."

"That's good. Your mother must really love children. I was impressed by how she protected them when the war started."

"I guess that came from real life experience. Mom had to raise me all by herself after Dad died." There was a sad tone in Mina's voice. Tails began to realize how similar he was to Mina. He spent his first ten years growing up without his parents while Mina grew up without a father in her life. The uncomfortable silence returned.

"So, your parents…they must've loved each other very much."

"Of course they did. If they didn't, Mom wouldn't talk about Dad all the time." Mina smiled a little at the memories of her mother talking about her father. "She always told me that Dad was the bravest person she had ever met. She said that if he was alive today, he would be proud of me for my accomplishments."

"I bet he's proud right now...um…if you believe in Heaven, that is…" Tails scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. Mina giggled, which made the fox boy blush.

"Yeah…I bet he is proud…" Mina tilted her head and looked at the ceiling for a few seconds. Tails quietly sighed with relief. Looks like the conversation went pretty good. "We're here." The two had stopped in front of a door. Mina knocked on it and for a moment nothing happened. The door then opened and there stood Dr. Quack.

"Ah, Mina," said the doctor when he saw his visitors. "I suppose you're here to see Ash, correct?"

"Ash?" said Tails, blinking in confusion. "What's he doing in that room? Shouldn't he be with the other patients?"

"I see you came to visit him also, Tails," Dr. Quack eyed at the fox boy. "It's nice to see my patients get visitors. And as for your question, the room where all the patients are kept got too full and crowded, so some patients had to be moved."

"Is it okay for us to visit Ash, Dr. Quack?" Mina asked the doctor politely.

"Yes, of course," said Dr. Quack, nodding his head. "I have other patients to tend to, so you may visit him. However, please don't be long. Ash needs as much rest as he can get. And Tails, if you see Sonic, please tell him to stop fighting and rest. You won't believe how many times he's disobeyed this order." Tails couldn't help but chuckle a little. Sonic was the same, no matter what.

Tails and Mina walked into the room as Dr. Quack left. Ash was lying in bed at the end of the room, his head and arms covered in band-aids. He turned his head at the sound of footsteps and frowned.

"What's _he _doing here?" the mongoose spat out, his angry glare focused on Tails. Tails felt a chill down his spine. Ash's voice and eyes showed that he had not forgotten the brawl that occurred between the two over Mina. Tails also felt something else: Anger. After all the trouble he went through to find and bring him back to the castle safely, this is how Ash "thanked" Tails. At that moment, Tails wanted to grab Ash by the collar and scream, "You ungrateful bastard! Can't you just forget about our conflict and thank me for saving your ass?! How stubborn are you?!" However, Tails could not do that for two reasons: Ash was injured and Mina was right there.

"Ash, that's no way to talk to someone who had just saved your life," said Mina, frowning at the way her fiancé just talked. "I want you two to shake hands and try to be friends."

"WHAT?!" Ash sat up in his bed. "You expect me to shake hands with that little twerp?!"

"Don't call Tails a twerp, Ash! It's rude!" Mina glared angrily at her lover with her hands on her hips. Ash flinched at her glare. Seeing that he couldn't win this argument, the injured mongoose sighed and held out his hand. Tails reluctantly held out his own hand and began shaking Ash's hand. Mina soon relaxed at this sight and removed her hands from her hips.

"I'm glad this all worked out. Hopefully, you two will be much friendlier towards each other in the future. Now, I'm off to check on Hershey." When Mina left the room, Ash tightened his grip on Tails' hand.

"I'm only doing this to please Mina," said the mongoose, his voice low and hostile. "If you think this is over, you're dead wrong. This isn't over by a long shot, Fox Boy."

"You got that right, Killjoy," said Tails, also in a hostile voice, as he pulled his hand away from Ash's grip. As he walked towards the door, Tails felt Ash's angry glare fixed on him.

**Author's Note: I would like to thank Dark Fox Tailz for giving me the idea of Tails and Ash shaking hands. :) I would also want thank all of you for reviewing this story. You guys are the best! Next chapter will be up soon, so stay tuned!**


End file.
